I came across an interesting organizational approach in an
Incommons newsletter. Incommons is an outreach tool of the Bush Foundation,
which supports community solutions through online resources. They passed along
information about “Network Weaving,”
an approach to leadership that requires the hands of many instead of counting
on a few people to push an initiative forward and make things happen.

I find this latter mode of leadership increasingly
challenging in the face of some of the complex problems we're facing today.
Fewer and fewer people are involved in creating or changing systems that
provide the foundations of our public and private lives. We are participating
less in these important conversations, waiting for someone else to come up with
solutions and then effectively deciding their fates by rewarding or denying
them financial support. With less involvement, we are often left to decide
which marketing campaign is most appealing.

The network weaving approach focuses on bringing more people
into the conversation by helping others become leaders, bringing in new voices,
and connecting across divides - not by getting people to agree but by getting
them to agree to experiment. Solutions are then developed and implemented,
which is where the heavy lifting still comes in, but the groundwork has theoretically
has been laid to make that piece easier. And community is built in small,
diverse, energetic (and project-oriented) interconnected groups, rather than in
traditional top-down hierarchy, which can get stagnant pretty quickly.

You still need someone to provide that interconnection, but
it’s more of a churning function than implementation. We’re doing something
like this at our church, where a group of leaders has been meeting for a year
or so to understand needs and mission. This conversation interacts with our
church cabinet to develop short and long-term goals that are then carried out
by the commissions and congregation.

I mentioned previously the Starling process in the Creative
Enterprise Zone where a group came together over a couple meetings to develop a
business and strategic plan for Pop-up shops on the corridor which addressed
several needs: providing temporary space for potential start-up businesses,
revenue for property owners and activity to previously empty storefronts. They
were supported by the D12 Council but did most of it on their own with great
success.

I believe some version of this is the future as it’s the way younger
generations like to engage. Social media is certainly a part of it as well, but
if we want to bring new ideas, energy and people into our musty and outdated
systems, we need to find new structures that allow for flexibility and
creativity. They have to be more accessible, faster and more effective. Network
weaving sounds like it’s an approach that could deliver those results.The world is definitely becoming flatter - if
we don’t change our systems, they will simply be bypassed.

D12 – This Saturday is the Home Tour, which is a major fundraiser for the Community Council.
The tour is this Saturday, October 6 from 10:00 to 3:00. Advance tickets are $15 and are available at Bibelot on Como, Micawber’s,
the little wine shoppe, and St. Paul Classic Cookie (on Territorial). Day of
the tour, purchase tickets at Park Midway Bank on Como for $20. Get your tickets now for
$15 at www.sapcc.org/hometour…Give & Take is coming up a week
from tonight, Oct. 10, from 6:30 – 9pm at the Mattress Factory building at 558
Vandalia. What do you know? and what do you want to know? are the two questions
that will get everyone engaged in this creative and fun free event. Join in
with neighbors to socialize and listen to short presentations on creative
enterprises over a refreshing beverage from the cash bar.

Schools – if you go to Davanni’s tonight in Roseville, you
can help contribute to the StAP
Elementary School. You need to bring in a coupon, which you can find here
and print up here,
20% of the total sales between 4-8pm will go to the school…to keep up with all
that’s happening at the school, check out their new blog, it’s great…Murray’s Parent Association is
sponsoring a parent forum on the school science fair next Monday at 7pm in the
school library. The science teachers will talk about how you can help your
students with their projects and answer any questions…Como High will host a College Planning and Financial Info night
this Thursday, Oct. 4 from 6-7pm…Their homecoming week and parade was
apparently very successful with over 150 students taking part in the parade. As
far as I know, the late night pranks were limited to relocating a few lawn
signs and TPing student some homes. Como has done a great job of making that
week a fun and safe experience for the entire community.

StAPnotes – there will be a Victorian “interactive mystery” at our branch library this Saturday presented
by the Red Ribbon Steampunk Club. You can arrive at any time between noon and
2:30pm to start the game. Sounds like fun, for more info, please call the
Library at 642-0411…the Norman Borlaug
Food & Hunger 5K will be run or walked this Saturday starting at the
St. Paul Campus to benefit Second Harvest Food Shelf. Borlaug was a Nobel Peace
Prize laureate and U of M graduate who has been credited with saving
more than a billion people from starvation. For more info check out this link…Jill
Kottke is looking for volunteers to help with the Como High Golf fundraiser
this Saturday. It should be a lovely day and a good cause. Contact Jill
if you can help…Music in the Park Series is kicking off its season with the Philharmonia
Quartett Berlin performing quartets by Mozart, Lutoslawski and
Beethoven this Sun, Oct 7, 4pm. Their
sound is described as combining "warmth, clarity and a sense of drama on a
human scale." For info contact the
Schubert Club…Mary
Hamel shares a wish list from a local nonprofit called Alliance Housing.

Okay, that’s plenty for now. Take care
of yourself and be a good neighbor.

About Me

Jon Schumacher - Executive Director

Hi, I'm Jon Schumacher, the Executive Director of the Saint Anthony Park Community Foundation. The Foundation's role is to understand our community needs, bring people together to help find solutions and then support their implementation. I am the point person for that and the blog is my way of keeping my board and neighbors up-to-date on all that is happening around District 12.